I too think there is some discretion with this. You'll have a right to attend that IB school starting in K. A principal has every interest - and will use whatever discretion granted - to see you enter in PS4 or PK4 so you're part of it from the start. I'd expect this to be especially true for schools that are over-enrolled and popular and maybe a little less so for schools that aren't sure you'll be there/stay for K.

Anonymous wrote:DCPS principals seem to have quite a bit of discretion in managing these types of issues. I have know people in OP's situation who have been moved to the bottom of the IB list for PK when they moved IB.

This is correct. DCPS principals can manage waitlists any way they want. At our JKLM siblings who didn't enter the lottery have been bumped ahead of kids who did enter the lottery without siblings, etc.
Go talk to the principal.

I believe you only get IB status for PK3 and Pk4 if you apply with it, so you'll have to wait until next year to take advantage of it for PK4. You can always call the my school DC hotline and the school itself to confirm.

OP, ask the principal directly what will happen. I would not expect you to get a spot for PS3 though. Have another plan.

Anonymous wrote:It only varies by grade. If it is k+ then you would move up. But anything before k won't move you up automatically.

If you are K or higher and move into a DCPS's boundary you don't go on any waitlist. You just file your enrollment paperwork and attend.

DCPS principals seem to have quite a bit of discretion in managing these types of issues. I have know people in OP's situation who have been moved to the bottom of the IB list for PK when they moved IB.

Anonymous wrote:End of the total list. We moved in August too and I thought we would at least go to the end of the IB list. Nope, all the way at the bottom even with siblings in the school!

Were you already on the list? Because in the charter school world, if you're on the non-sibling list and your sibling gets in via lottery you're jumped to the bottom of the sibling list. I don't see why the DCPS system couldn't work that way.

It only varies by grade. If it is k+ then you would move up. But anything before k won't move you up automatically.

It doesn't vary on a school-by-school basis?

End of the total list. We moved in August too and I thought we would at least go to the end of the IB list. Nope, all the way at the bottom even with siblings in the school!

What happens if we're on the WL for a school for PK3 (as an out-of-bounder) and then move between now and the school year to an in-bounds address? Do we get "re-prioritized" to the back of the IB list? How does that work? We applied as an out-of-stater, and will be moving in-bounds around August for PK3. Pretty far back on the WL now.

Thanks!